Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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2040. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he is satisfied with the arrangements for supervision of erectors and installers of timber frame construction systems in view of the many faults which have been exposed to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38260/17]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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2041. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he is satisfied that National Standards Authority of Ireland, NSAI, renews agrément certificate 04/0198 in view of the frequency of faults found on sites; if he will direct the NSAI to delete this agrément certificate from their website and withdraw approval of the certificate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38261/17]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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2042. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact of the many defects found in buildings for which the fire safety certificate was based on the specifications set out in agrément certificate 04/0198; if he will request the various building control authorities to conduct tests to ensure compliance with the certificates and pursue enforcement of the building regulations by the provider of the timber frame systems in cases in which defective works are discovered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38262/17]

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 2040 to 2042, inclusive, together.

The National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) is an autonomous body under the aegis of the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation. The process of Agrément certification applies to those products and processes which do not fall within the scope of existing construction standards, either because they are innovative or because they deviate from established norms.

NSAI Agrément assesses, specifies testing, and where appropriate, issues Agrément certificates confirming that new building products, materials, techniques and equipment are safe and fit for purpose in accordance with the Irish Building Regulations and with the terms of the certificate.  NSAI is the national certification authority providing, inter alia, a certification service to enable businesses demonstrate that Irish goods and services conform to applicable standards. 

Under the Building Control Acts 1990 to 2014, primary responsibility for compliance with the requirements of the Building Regulations rests with the owners, designers and builders of buildings. Enforcement of the Building Regulations is a matter for the 31 local building control authorities who have extensive powers of inspection and enforcement under the Acts.

The minimum performance requirements that a building must achieve are set out in the Second Schedule to the Building Regulations in 12 parts classified A to M. Under Part D, Materials and Workmanship, there is an overarching requirement that all works should be carried out using proper materials,  "which are fit for the use for which they are intended and for the conditions in which they are to be used” to ensure compliance with the regulatory requirements as prescribed.

Where innovative products are used, third party certification, such as Agrément Certification, is a means of demonstrating how products or systems can meet the requirements of the building regulations, including Part B, Fire Safety. Care should be taken to read the terms and conditions of such certification and ensure that the content of the certification is strictly adhered to during construction, in conjunction with the Fire Safety Certificate where relevant.

In response to the building failures that have emerged over the past decade, my Department introduced the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014 (S.I. No. 9 of 2014), which require greater accountability in relation to compliance with Building Regulations in the form of statutory certification of design and construction by registered construction professionals and builders, lodgement of compliance documentation, mandatory inspections during construction and validation and registration of certificates. A Certificate of Compliance on Completion is jointly signed by the builder and the assigned certifier. In effect, the statutory Certificate of Compliance on Completion certifies that a building is compliant with all relevant requirements of the Building Regulations.

Finally, in relation to timber frame construction, Irish Standard 440: 2009/A1:2014 Timber Frame Construction, Dwellings and other Buildings (I.S. 440) specifies requirements for materials, design, manufacture, construction details, site work and quality control for platform timber frame construction. It requires that the responsibilities for the tasks involved in the planning, structural design, site erection and inspection be agreed and recorded prior to the commencement of each project. I.S. 440 also gives specific details relating to fire; including the construction of separating walls, horizontal and vertical fire stopping, cavity barriers and detailed fire stopping junctions for walls and floors and service penetrations. Manufacturers of timber frame buildings are assessed under an approval scheme operated by NSAI for compliance with I.S. 440 requirements including Factory Production Control (FPC) and a register of compliant manufacturers is available on the NSAI website.

The developments and reforms outlined above have brought an order and discipline in relation to compliance on all construction projects.